Volcanoes: Identifying and Evaluating Their Significant Geoheritage Features from the Large to Small Scale

Across the globe, volcanoes and volcanic terrains present one of the most complex geological systems on Earth that, depending on magma type, viscosity, and water and gas content, form a diverse range of products in terms of geomorphology, lithologic suites, structures, and stratigraphy. In broad terms, magmas, with their diagnostic composition, derive from specific tectonic settings, e.g., basalt-dominated oceanic crusts, acidic magma from continental plates, and andesitic convergent-plate margins. In addition to magma composition and volcanic rock types, there is a wide range of volcanic products, manifest at all scales, dependent on how magma interacts with the Earth’s surface, varying, for instance, from lava flows such as vesicular lava beds and flow-banded to flow-laminated lava beds, to breccias, tephra (ejecta) deposits, and bombs, amongst others, each commonly with their diagnostic small-scale lithological/structural features. This wealth of rock types, stratigraphy, and structures linked to geologic setting, potentially has geoheritage significance, and we provide here methods tailored for volcanoes and volcanic rocks of identifying, classifying and evaluating the complex and heterogeneous nature of volcanoes so that the full complement of their geology for a given region can be appreciated and incorporated into thematic geoparks, Nature Reserves and protected areas. For sites of geoheritage significance, we present (1) a globally-applicable Geoheritage Tool-kit to systematically identify volcanic geoheritage sites, (2) a technique to classify/categorise geoheritage sites, and (3) a semi-quantitative method to evaluate the geoheritage significance of volcanic sites.

TFgeotourism: A Project to Quantify, Highlight, and Promote the Volcanic Geoheritage and Geotourism in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain)

Volcanic landscapes offer a multitude of resources to the communities that live within them. However, the main attraction that volcanoes offer is associated with volcanic heritage and geotourism. The scope of this project is to create and promote emerging geotouristic products through the empowerment of volcano tourism and thus contribute to strengthening the economic and business fabric of the volcanic island of Tenerife (Spain). In Tenerife, this great geodiversity includes the stravolcanoes, shield volcanoes, calderas, cinder cones, maars, tuff cones and rings, and lava fields, all exposed beautifully in cliffs, ravines, beaches, deposits, etc. The main activities of the project associated with the documentation and quantification of the conservation values of the volcanic heritage are the following: production of a documentary on the volcanic geoheritage of Teide volcano, selection of the top 50 sites of geotouristic interest, creation of urban geotourism itineraries, recreation of the itinerary of Alexander von Humboldt, and creation of a web page for the project. This project will deliver an essential resource needed to diversify the leisure activities offered in Tenerife through the volcanic heritage and geotourism. It quantifies the best that Tenerife can uniquely offer and highlights it in a globally accessible and perpetual manner.